Folding door hardware



Sept? 18, 1962 R. BRYDCLF 3,054,447

FOLDING DooR HARDWARE Filed Dec. 27, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5p 'Ur-'2 Q2Z 24"2 :l

Bosse?" He/Deur,

Sept. 18, 1962 R. BRYDOLF 3,054,447

FOLDING DOOR HARDWARE Filed DSG. 27, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hlg 3 Sept.18, 1962 R. BRYDOLF 3,054,447

FOLDING DOOR HARDWARE Filed nec. 27, 1957 :s sheets-sheet s ,FL/r@ 7,MJ/r6. 3. 26,152

L Y r 1- A United States Patent Olitice 3,954,447 Patented Sept. 18,1962 3,054,447 FGLDING DOOR WARE Robert Brydolf, Pasadena, Calif.,assigner to Acme Appliance Manufacturing Company, Monrovia, Calif., acorporation of California Filed Dec. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 705,707 8Claims. (Qi. loll-206) The present invention relates in general tofolding doors and, more particularly, to hardware for a folding doorassembly which includes a pair of doors foldable to one side of adoorway, or two pairs of doors respec- `tively foldable to oppositesides of the doorway.

A general object of theinvention is to provide hardware for mountingsuch a fol-ding door assembly which is substantially completelyconcealed so that the hardware does not detract from the appearance ofthe doors themselves.

The invention contemplates, rand an object thereof is to provide,hardware for a folding door assembly which includes: an overhead trackmember or track means spanning the doorway and carried by the supportingstructure in which the doorway is formed, which supporting structure maybe a wall of a house or other building; a pair of doors adapted to atleast partially span the doorway and adapted to be 4folded to one sidethereof; upper and lower pivot pins carried by the upper and lower ends`of one of the doors adjacent one of its vertical edges; upper and lowerpivot sockets respectively engaging the upper and lower pivot pins andcarried by the supporting structure; a guide carried by the upper end ofthe other door adjacent one of its vertical edges and engaging the trackmember; and hinge means pivotally interconnecting the other verticaledges of the two doors. With this construction, when the doors are in aclosed position, ythey are in alignment and the axis of the pivot pins,the axis of the hinge means and the axis of the guide are all at leastsubstantially in alignment. When the doors are in Ian open position,they are folded against each other at one side of the doorway with theaxis of the hinge means laterally offset from the axis of the pivot pinsandthe guide.

An important object of the invention is to provide means lfor adjustingthe positions of either the pivot sockets or the pivot pins in adirection spanning the doorway so that the horizontal positions yof thedoors in the doorway can be adjusted readily. More particularly, animportant object is to make the pivot sockets ajustable relative to thesupporting structure in a direction spanning the doorway so that `thepositions of the doors relative to the doorway may be adjusted readilyafter hanging of the doors merely by adjusting the positions `of thepivot sockets laterally of the doorway.

Another object is -to provide hardware by means of which the doors maybe adjusted vertically relative to the doorway after hanging.

Another object is l`to provide a track means or track member whichincludes primary and secondary tracks, the primary track receiving theguide hereinbefore mentioned, and the secondary track slidably receivingthe upper pivot socket, which may -be locked in any desired positionalong the secondary track for adjustment purposes by a locking meansthereon. With this construction, there is no necessity for accuratelylocating a hole in the track member -in a position to receive the upperpivot pin, which is necessary in accordance with many prior practices.With the present invention, it is merely necessary to insert the upperpivot pin in the pivot socket slidably carried by the secondary track,and then lock the upper pivot socket relative tothe track member aftersliding the upper pivot socket into the proper position, which is animportant feature of the invention.

Another object is to provide hardware wherein the lower pivot socket isslidable in a direction spanning the doorway relative to a guide memberattached to the supporting structure, means being provided for lockingthe lower pivot socket relative to such guide member. With thisconstruction, the position of the lower pivot socket transversely of thedoorway may also be adjusted readily after hanging of the doors in amanner similar to that in which the upper pivot socket is adjusted,thereby avoiding any necessity for accurately locating rthe position ofthe lower pivot socket in advance of installation of the doors.

Another object is `to lprovide hardware wherein the upper and lowerpivot pins and the guide, which engages the primary track, arevertically adjustable relative to the doors after hanging of the doors.

A further object is to provide hardware having spring means for biasingthe upper pivot pin into engagement with the upper pivot socket, wherebythe upper pivot pin may be disengaged from the upper pivot socketreadily by merely compressing such spring means. With this construction,the doors may be removed readily without removing any of the mountinghardware, which is an important feature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding door assemblywherein the axis of the hinge means is offset laterally from the centralvertical planes of the doors and wherein the axis of the pivot pins andthe axis of the guide are located in the central vertical planes of therespective doors, the axis of the hinge means moving across a planecontaining the axis of the pivot pins and the axis of the guide as thedoors are closed. With this construction, the door assembly constitutesa toggle wherein the laxis of the hinge means moves over center as thedoors are closed, thereby holding the doors in the closed position.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a guide elementmounted on the supporting structure at the bottom of the doorway, e.g.,on the iloor beneath the doorway, and having therein a generallytriangular notch to receive an element at the lower end of the leaddoors, i.e., the door which carries the guide at the upper end thereof,when such door is closed, thereby positively guiding the lead door intoits closed position. Another object in this connection is to provide theguide element mentioned with a substantially parallel-sided channelcommunicating with the apex of the generally triangular notch andadapted to receive the element at the bottom of the lead door. With thisconstruction, the generally triangular notch guides the element at thelower end of the door in question into the generally parallel-sidedchannel, the walls of the latter accurately aligning the door in itsclosed position.

Another object of importance is to provide a door aligner for the leaddoor which includes a convex aligning element projecting from theleading vertical edge of the lead door and engageable with the walls ofa concave cavity in an aligning socket, this aligning socket eitherbeing carried by the supporting structure, or being carried by theleading vertical edge of the lead door of the other of the two pairs ofdoors utilized to close the doorway.

Another object is to provide such a door aligner which includes a mountfor the aligning element into which the aligning element is threaded.With this construction, the position of the aligning element relative tothe leading vertical edge of the lead door may be adjusted to Obtainproper engagement of the aligning element with the lwalls of the concavecavity in the aligning socket. 'Y

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will be apparent to those skilled in the foldingdoor art in the Y Y e 3 light of this disclosure, may be attained withthe exemplary embodiments of the invention described in detailhereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view illustrating two folding door installationsof the invention in a single Awall for convenience, one comprising twopairs of folding doors and the other a single pair;

lFIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along either ofthe arrowed lines 2--2 of FIG. l;

(FIG. 3 is a View, partially in section and partially in elevation,taken along the arrowed line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the arrowed line 4-4of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an upper adjustable pivot socket of theinvention;

\FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a lower adjustable pivot socket of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a View, partially in section and partially in elevation,`showing the two pairs of folding doors of the left hand foldingtdoorinstallation of FIG. l in closed position;

FIGS.' 8 and 9 are fragmentary sectional views taken along the arrowedlines 8-8 and `9-9, respectively of FIG. 7;

' FIG. l0 is a perspective view of an aligning socket of Ythe invention;and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a guide element of the inventionlReferring particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, illustrated therein isa wall structure provided with door- Ways 22 Vand 24 therethrough, thedoorway 22 being shown as the doorway into a closet 26, although theinvention is not limited to such a doorway. The doorway is lbounded by aheader 28, jambs and 32 and a floor 34. Similarly, the doorway 24 isdelined by a header 36, jambs 38 and 40 and the oor 34.

The doorway 22 is adapted to be closed by a pair 42 of doors 44 and 46and a pair 48 of doors -50 and 52. The doorway 24 is adapted to beVclosed by a pair 54 of doors 56 and 58. The door pairs 42 and 54 areidentical, except that one is a mirror image of the other, and the doorpair 48 is similar to the door pairs 42 and `54, all three door pairs42, 48 and 54 being identically hung. Consequently, the descriptionwhich follows will be restricted largely to the door pair '42 Vas amatter of convenience.

Considering the door pair 42, the doors 44 and 46 of this pair arehinged together along adjacent vertical edges thereof by a hinge meanswhich includes laligned hinges 60. The hinge axis provided by the hinges60 is offset laterally from the central vertical planes of the doors 44and 46 and is located behind suchdoors, as suggestedY by the dotted-lineshowing of the hinges 60 in FIG. l of the drawings. The showingof hinges62 in FIG. 1 between the doors 50 and 52 of the door pair 48 lalsoillustratesthis rearward oset of the hin-ge axis from the verticalcentral planes of the doors. The reason for this hinge-axis offset willbe considered hereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 of the drawings, spanning the doorway22 and secured to the header 28 thereof, as by screws 64, is a trackmeans or track member 66 concealed by a quarter round 68. 'Ihe trackmember 66 has the general cross-sectional configuration of'an I-beam andincludes anges 70 interconnected by a web 72. The flanges 70 and the web72 cooperate to provide a downwardly-facing, channel-shaped primarytrack 74, while the web 72 is formed to provide a downwardly-facing,C-shaped, secondary track 76 above the primary track.

The door 46 of the door pair 42, sometimesreferred to herein as the leaddoor of this pair, is provided at its upper end, and adjacent thevertical edge thereof opposite the edge to which the hinges 60 areconnected, with a guide 78, FIGS. 7 and 8, in the lform of a rollerwhich extends into the primary track 74 and which is engageable with theflanges 70 of the track member 66. The guide roller 78 is rotatablymounted on a stud 80 which is threaded into a tubular insert 82 set intothe upper end of the door 46. The insert 82 is provided with a ange 34through which nails 86, or other fasteners, extend into the door 46 tosecure the insert to such door. The stud 8d3 is provided with ahexagonal collar 88 by means of which the stud may be rotated relativeto the tubular insert 82 to adjustY the position of the guide roller 78vertically relative to the primary track 74 after the doors 44 and 46are hung.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6 of the drawings, the door 44 of the pair 42 ispivotally connected to the wall structure 20 adjacent the vertical edgeof the door 44 opposite the vertical edge thereof which is connected tothe door 46 by the hinges 6i). Upper and lower pivot assembiies and 92are provided to pivotally connect the door 44 to the wall structure 20.

Considering the upper pivot assembly 9G with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5of the drawings, it includes a pivot socket or socket member 94 havingtherethrough an opening 96 which receives a pivot pin 98 carried by thedoor 44. The pivot pin 98 extends into and is slidable in a Y tubularinsert 100 set into the upper end of the door 44,

this insert having a flange 162 secured by nails 104, or otherfasteners. A compression spring 166 seated against the flange 102 andagainst a collar 168 on the pivot pin 98 biases this pivot pin into theopening 96 in the pivot socket 94. As will be explained hereinafter, thespring 106 may be compressed, in response to upward movement of the doorpair 42 to permit disengagement of parts of the lower pivot assembly 92,whereupon the pivot pin 98 may be withdrawn from the opening 96 and theguide roller 78 may be withdrawn from the primary track 74 to permitremoval of the door pair 42.

The pivot socket 94 is provided with a ilange 11i) which slidably seatsagainst the under side of the -web 72 of the track member 66 and whichhas thereon a tab 112 slidably fitting into the mouth of thedownwardly-facing, C-shaped secondary track 76. The pivot socket 94 isprovided with another ange 114 through which a screw 116 extends into arectangular nut 118 within the secondary track 76. The nut 118 has arectangular projection 126 which fits into the mouth of thedownwardly-facing, C-shaped secondary track 76. Thus, the nut 118 isprevented from rotating as the screw 116 is rotated.

With the foregoing construction, the pivot socket 94 may slide along thetrack member 66, the nut 118, which forms part of the pivot socket,sliding in the secondary track 76. In adjusting'the doors 44 and 46relative to the doorway 22 after hanging the doors, the pivot socket 94is moved along the track member 66 until the pivot axis is the correctdistance from the jamb 3i), whereupon the screw 116 is tightened to lockthe pivot socket 94 in the correct position, the screw 116 and the nut118 servingas a lockingY means for locking the pivot socket 94 in suchposition.

Considering the lower pivot assembly 92, it includes a lowerY pivot pin122 which is threaded into a tubular insert 124 set into the lower endof the door 44, the insert 124 having a ilange 126 secured by nails 128,or other fasteners. VThe pivot pin 122 is provided with a hexagonalcollar thereon by means of which this plvot pin may be rotated relativeto the threaded insert 124 to adjust the position of the door pair 44vertically relative to the doorway 22.

The pivot pin 122 extends downwardly into .a hole 132V in a lower pivotsocket or socket member 134, the hole 132 beingrencircled by a thrustring 136 on which the collar 130 on the pivot pin 122 is seated to carrythe weight of the door pair 42. As best shown in FIGS. l3 and 6, thepivot socket 134 has the shape of an inverted channel which ts over aflange 138 of an angleshaped bracket or guide member 140, this brackethaving a ange 142 secured to the jamb 30 of the doorway 32 by screws144. The flange 138 of the bracket 140 is provided therein with a slot146 which extends in `a direction spanning the doorway, and this slotreceives a rectangular projection 148 on a nut 151) underlying theflange 138. A screw 152 extends through the pivot socket 134 and isthreaded into the nut 150.

With this construction of the lower pivot assembly 92, the screw 152 isinitially loose, whereby the pivot socket 134 may slide back and forthalong the flange 138 of the bracket 148 to space the pivot axis of thedoor 44 the correct distance from the jamb 30, this adjustment beingmade after the doors 44 and 46 are hung. With the correct pivot axisestablished, the screw 152 is tightened to lock the pivot socket 134 inthe desired position, the nut 150 and the screw 152 serving as a lockingmeans corresponding to that provided by the screw 116 and the nut 11S ofthe upper pivot assembly 90.

It will be noted that the pivot pin 122 extends into the pivot socket134 a relatively short distance, this distance being less than theextent to which the spring 196 associated with the pivot pin 98 may becompressed. Consequently, if removal of the door pair 42 after hangingis desired for any reason, this may be accomplished readily by liftingupwardly thereon to withdraw the pivot pin 122 from the hole 132 in thepivot socket 134, this being permitted by the spring 106. Thereafter,the door pair 42 is moved downwardly, at the same time swinging thelower end thereof outwardly, to withdraw the pivot pin 93 from theopening 96 in the pivot socket 94 `and to withdraw the guide roller 78from the primary track 74. The door pair 42 may be reinstalled merely byreversing this process.

An important feature of the construction described is that all of theadjustments, both horizontal and vertical, necessary to properly alignthe door pair 42 with the doorway 22 may be made after the doors 44 and46 are hung. 1n other words, after hanging, the pivot sockets 94 and 134are adjusted in a direction spanning the doorway to 'locate the pivotaxis for the door 44 in the proper. position, and the stud 80 and thepivot pin 122 are adjusted vertically to properly locate the guideroller 78 relative to the primary track 74 and to properly locate thedoors 44 and 46 vertically relative to the doorway 22.

The pivot pins 98 and 122 are located with their common axissubstantially in the vertical central plane of the door 44 and the studSi) for the guide roller 78 is located with its .axis substantially inthe vertical central plane of the door 46, while, as hereinbeforepointed out, the common axis of the hinges 60 is offset relative to thevertical central planes of the doors 44 and 46. Consequently, as theguide roller 78 moves along the primary track 74 in moving the doors 44.and 46 to a closed position, wherein they are aligned, the axis of thehinges 60 moves across a plane containing the axis of the pivot pins 98and 122 and the axis of the guide-roller stud 80. Thus, thisconstruction constitutes a toggle joint which moves over center as thedoors 44 and 46 are closed, thereby holding the doors in their closedposition.

Referring to FIGS. 7, 9 and l0 of the drawings, illustrated therein isan aligner or aligning means 154 for aligning the lead door 46 of thepair 42 with the lead door 50 of the pair 48. A similar aligner isutilized in conjunction with the door pair 54, except that it aligns thelead door 56 with the jamb 38 since only one pair of doors is utilizedin the doorway 24.

Considering the aligner 154, it includes a convex aligning element 156having, in the particular construction illustrated, the form of the headof a screw 158 threaded into a tubular insert 160 set in the leadingvertical edge of the door 46. This insert is provided with a flange 162which is secured by means of nails 164, or the like. The aligner 154also includes an aligning socket 166 attached to the leading verticaledge of the lead door 50 by screws 6 168, or the like. The aligningsocket 166 is provided with a concave, generally pyramidal cavity 170therein.

As best shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings, as the doors 44 and 446 areclosed after closing of the doors 56 and 52, the aligning element 156enters the cavity 176, the convergent walls of the cavity 170 acting onthe aligning element 156 as the latter approaches the deepest portion ofthe cavity to properly align all of the doors 44, 46, 50 and 52. Asimilar action occurs when the aligner 154 is utilized in conjunctionwith the door 56 and the jamb 38. As will be apparent, by rotating thealigning element 156, it may be moved inwardly or outwardly relative tothe leading vertical edge of the lead door 46 to insure properengagement with the convergent walls of the cavity 170 and proper entryinto the apex of this cavity.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 11, illustrated therein is an aligner 172 whichmay be utilized alternatively, or concurrently, with the aligner 154.The aligner 172 is adapted to be mounted on the floor 34 below themeeting point of the vertical leading edges of the lead doors 46 and 50,and is provided therein with oppositely facing, generally triangularnotches 174. In the construction shown, the apices of the notches 174terminate in substantially parallel-sided recesses 176 shown asconnected by a channel or groove 177 which is a continuation of therecesses. The lower end of the lead door 46 is provided adjacent theleading vertical edge thereof with a stud 178 threaded into a tubularinsert 41841 set into the lower end of such door and provided with aflange 182 secured by nails 184, or the like. The stud 17 3 is providedwith a hexagonal collar 186 for Vertical adjustment purposes. The lowerend of the lead door 50 of the pair 48 is similarly equipped with a studlike the stud 178.

Considering the operation of the aligner 172, as the doors 44 and 46 aremoved to their closed position, the lower end of the stud 178 rst entersone of the notches 174, the walls of such notch guiding the stud to theapex thereof and thence into the corresponding recess 176. Depending onthe location of the stud 178 relative to the adjacent vertical edge ofthe door 46, the stud may or may not pass through the correspondingrecess 176 into the channel 177. The widths of the recesses 176 and lthechannel 17 7 are only slightly greater than the diameter of the lowerend of the stud 4178 so that the aligner 172 accurately and rigidlypositions the lower end of the door 46, the lower end of the door 50being aligned in a similar manner.

For the purposes of the door pair 54, an aligner, not shown,constituting, in effect, one-half of the aligner 172 may be utilized. Inother words, such aligner includes one of the notches 174 and a portionof the channel 176, or one of the notches 174 alone.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosedherein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood Ithat variouschanges, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in suchembodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined by the claims which follow:

I claim as my invention:

1. A folding door overhead vtrack member to be secured in a door openingand including parallel primary and secondary tracks having portionswhich are common lto each other, said primary track being generallychannel-shaped in cross section and which includes a downwardly facinghorizontal web surface with marginal depending flanges having oppositelyfacing vertical surfaces that cooperate with said downwardly facinghorizontal web surface to form primary track guiding surfaces, saidsecondary track being generally C-shaped in cross section and whichincludes a top horizontal web with parallel depending sides terminatingin oppositely disposed inturned horizontal flanges the marginal edges ofwhich form a continuously extending mouth, said continuously extendingmouth being of less width than the distance between said dependingprimary track anges to provide said primary track downwardly facinghorizontal web surface on the underside of said inturned horizontalanges, said mouth interconnecting the interior of said primary andsecondary tracks.

2. Hardware for a plurality of hingedly connected folding doorsincluding: a track member as set forth in claim 1; a pivot socket havingspaced sliding seats engaging said downwardly facing horizontal websurface of said primary track and a Vtab on one of said seats guided insaid mouth of the secondary track, a nut supported by said inturnedanges of said secondary track and a screw having its stem pass throughsaid second seat and into said nut to support and guide said pivotsocket along said secondary track and to clamp and lock the same alongsaid track at the correct position from the door jamb, an upper pivotpin mounted on one of said hinged doors to slidably move into said pivotsocket, and a guide mountable on another of said hinged doors to extendbetween said marginal depending flanges of said primary track and engagesaid horizontal and vertical guide surfaces thereof.

3. Hardware for a plurality of hingedly connected folding doorsincluding the structure as set forth in claim 2, .a lower pivot pinmounted on said one of said hinged doors, a lower pivot assemblyconsisting of an angle bracket having a vertical leg with screw holes toattach the same to the door jamb and having a horizontal leg providedwith a longitudinal slot extending toward and away from said verticalleg, a channel shaped pivot mem ber having a web covering saidhorizontal leg and carrying a securing means opening and a pivot socketwith an opening, said openings spaced from each other, marginaldepending guide flanges on said pivot member to engage each longitudinaledge of said horizontal leg to slidably guide and center said securingmeans opening and said pivot socket opening over said slot in saidhorizontal leg when moving said pivot socket toward and away from saidvertical leg, securing means including a nut below said horizontal legand a screw having its stem passing through said securing means openingand said slot yto engage said nut and clamp said pivot member to saidhorizontal leg and align said lower pivot pin with said upper pivot pin,said marginal guide flanges on said pivot member extending below saidnut as a gauge to provide clearance between said nut and the dooropening.

4. The structure of claim 3 characterized by means on said lower pivotpin to raise and lower said hingedly connected folding doors Iafterassembly to trim the top of said doors relative to said primary trackanges.

5. The structure of claim 4 characterized by resilient means to extendsaid upper pivot pin upwardly into its pivot socket and to slidablysupport, said upper pivot pin in its mounting in said one of said hingeddoors to retain said upper pivot pin in said pivot socket regardless ofthe vertical position of said doors.

6. The structure of claim 3 characterized by said lower pivot pin has acollar to engage on said pivot socket and the depending portion of saidlower pivot pin below said collar is stepped into said pivot socketopening to an extent less than the clearance between the top of thehinged doors and said overhead track to permit said hinged doors to beraised to unstep said lower pivot pin to remove said hinged doors fromtheir adjusted pivot sockets.

7. Pivot assembly hardware for a plurality of hingedly connected foldingdoors, consisting of an angle bracket having a vertical leg with screwholes to attach the same to a door jamb and having a horizontal legprovided with a longitudinal slot extending toward and away from saidvertical leg, a channel-shaped pivot member having a web covering saidhorizontal leg and carrying a securing means opening and a pivot socketwith an opening, said openings spaced from each other, marginaldepending guide flanges on said pivot member to engage each longitudinaledge of said horizontal leg to slidably guide and center said pivotsocket opening and said securing means opening over said slot in saidhorizontal leg when moving said pivot socket toward and away from saidvertical leg, and securing means including a nut below said horizontalleg and a screw having its stem passing through said securing meansopening and said slot to engage said nut and clamp said pivot member tosaid horizontal leg at .different positions therealong,l said marginalguide anges on said pivot member extending below said nut as a gauge `toprovide clearance between said nut and the door openings.

8. A hardware for a plurality of hingedly connected folding doorsincluding an overhead track with spaced inturned flanges, a pivot sockethaving spaced seats for sliding engagement with a downwardly facingportion of said inturned ange, a tab on one of said seats to engagebetween said inturned flanges and guide said pivot socket therealong, anut support by said inturned anges, and a screw having its stern passthrough' `said second seat and into said nut to support and guide saidpivot socket along said inturned flanges, said nut and screw clampingsaid pivot socket along said track to properly position said pivotsocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,216,169 Rochester Feb. 13, 1917 1,230,345 Urmson June vv19, 19171,696,175 Campbell Dec. 8, 1928 2,485,393 Locke Oct. 18, 1949 2,791,005Thompson May 7, 1957 2,842,795 Majeske July 15, 1958 Y FOREIGN PATENTS15,923 Great Britain July 8, 1912 78,176 Norway Feb. 26, 1951

